A Salute to Shorts: #HIFF2015 Short Film Programs

Did you know that the only way to see many short films is on the film festival circuit? Take advantage of these specifically curated short film programs offering comedy, documentary, serious drama and all-ages delight.

Here are some highlights from a few of the nine short programs featured over the course of #HIFF2015. (You can also see eight short films screening before select feature films throughout the Festival.) To learn more about the short films featured during the 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival, be sure to check the official online Film Guide or visit the box office.

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New York Women in Film and Television: Women Calling The Shots

HIFF 2015 is proud to continue a partnership with New York Women in Film and Television for the twelfth annual showcase of outstanding achievements by female filmmakers.

Program Highlight: Behind the Wall

An injured young dancer finds unexpected comfort when she moves into a strange, dilapidated apartment. Through a small hole in a failing wall of the apartment, the dancer observes her eccentric neighbors and begins to feel more at home. This film, by Bat-Sheva Guez, won Grand Prize for Best Cinematography and a camera grant at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Guez lives and works in Brooklyn, directing videos for clients such as Lincoln Center and the Atlantic Council.

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Student Short Films Showcase

This year’s Student Short Film Showcase winners were selected from hundreds of submissions. The finalists were then voted on by a group of industry professionals who selected these five winners. Featuring a variety of talent, from animation to international live action, featuring both male and female voices, we couldn’t be more excited about this year’s winners.

Program Highlight: A Band of Thieves

In an attempt to shake things up in her sleepy Texas town, teenage Josie and her sidekick go on a crime spree. This highly stylized short film by Fidel Ruiz-Healy boasts a whimsical, vintage camp aesthetic while paying tribute to classic cinematic stories of “cops and robbers.” Ruiz-Healy is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker who graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He founded The American Standard Film Company with classmates Tyler Walker and Jordan Michael Blake.

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I Hear You Loud and Not So Clear

These characters aren’t trying to be funny, they’re just trying to be heard. A diverse group of hilarious shorts about crossed lines, culture clash and finding a voice. Any voice. As long as someone can hear it.

Program Highlight: Bob Spells Backwards

Bob has a superpower. If you ask him, he can spell backwards on command. This short documentary by Ryan Maxey and Josh Polon provides an uncomplicated, micro-portrait of artist Bobby Howard